Page:Man in the Panther's Skin.djvu/42

 accuse of bitterness the All-seeing, who is tender to all! And why should the Creator of good make evil!

113. "If this knight was indeed (a man) of flesh wandering over the earth, others must have seen him; they will appear to instruct you. If not, it is a devil who has appeared to you to disturb your joys. Refrain from sadness. Why art thou become cheerless?

114. "This is my advice: Thou art king, ruler over kings ; wide is your boundary, boundless is your power ; send everywhere men with news of this story; soon shall you know whether this youth be a mortal or not."

115. He commanded men and sent them forth even to the four corners of the heavens, saying: "Go, spare yourselves no pains; search, hunt for that youth, let nothing hinder you; send a letter whither ye cannot go nor attain."

116. The men went, they wandered about for a year; they looked, they sought that youth, they inquired again and again. They could find none of God's creatures who had seen him. Wearied in vain, they returned, dissatisfied with themselves.

117. The slaves said: "O king, we have wandered over the lands, yet could we not find that youth, so we could not rejoice; we could meet no living man who had seen him; we have not been able to serve you, now devise some other plan."

118. The king replied: "My daughter, my child, spoke truth. I have seen a hideous, unclean spirit; he has been sent as my foe, flying down from heaven. Grief is fled from me; I care nothing for all that."

119. Thus he spoke, and sporting was increased with rejoicing; they called the minstrel and the acrobat wherever they were found, many gifts were distributed, he